The Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Siena was established in the 1920’s and 1930’s thanks to the contribution of the well known archaeologist Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli who, at the time, was just beginning his career. During this time Siena had two antiquities collections. One was held in the City Library where from the mid eighteenth century it consisted primarily of coins, small bronzes and seals and was enriched during the nineteenth century by donations and material discovered within the city during the construction of Campansi Road. The second was simultaneously housed by the ‘Accademia dei Fisiocritici’, which already included a numismatic museum and had conserved some archaeological finds. From the end of the nineteenth century it also held the Mieli collection. This collection was donated to the Municipality of Siena in 1882 and included material gathered from family properties around Pienza. Another important collection incorporated into the museum was the Bargagli collection from Sarteano, formed between 1875 and the beginning of the 1900’s. It was donated to the State in 1918 and later transferred to Siena. In 1951-52 two other important collections also incorporated into the museum were those of Chigi Zondadari and Bonci Casuccini. The first was formed between the last quarter of the 1800’s and the beginning of the 1900’s by the Marquis Bonaventura Chigi Zondadari. It included material from the local area and other objects, mostly Roman, which were acquired on the antiquities market. At the end of the 1800’s it was considered to be one of the most important Italian private collections. The Bonci Casuccini collection was put together at the beginning of the 1900’s by Emilio Bonci Casuccini, consisting primarily of material discovered within the area of Chiusi and was kept at the Marcianella Villa. It was donated to the State in 1952 and subsequently transferred to Siena. Over the years the museum was greatly enriched, especially by funerary artefacts discovered during excavations conducted around Siena. Currently, the museum is divided into two sections: the topographical section which illustrates important aspects of local archaeology with particular emphasis on the discoveries within the city and the surrounding areas of Chianti, upper Val d’Elsa, and the Antiquarium which holds the various collections mentioned above. In 1993 the museum was transferred from its historical seat in via della Sapienza to Santa Maria della Scala, and in 2001 it was established within the ‘tunnels’ facing internal road of the ancient hospital.